


hey angel

by commedies



Category: Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, bartender!seongwu, bffs!ongniel, like literally barely there, please love onghwang, self-indulgent fic, supportive yet snarky bff daniel, the rest of nuest is mentioned, this is 7k of ong being in love with minhyun, vocalist!minhyun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-26
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2020-02-04 12:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18604549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/commedies/pseuds/commedies
Summary: ong seongwu can prove that angels exist outside of heaven too, because he sees one every friday night at the bar he works at.or, minhyun is in a band, and seongwu is the bartender that pines over him from afar.





	hey angel

**Author's Note:**

> hi. hello. it is i cryptidsoap. making my debut as a wanna one writer!!!!!! tbh i didnt see this coming it just happened....... so sorry in advance if they're ooc or smth :<
> 
> so this wasnt supposed to be my first onghwang but i went to a pub one day (to perform hehe) and the atmosphere was so nice i just... started writing. so here's the product of it! this is unbetaed as always but i hope you all enjoy~

People say you get to see angels when you go to Heaven. They live there, apparently.

 

Well, Ong Seongwu can prove people wrong, because he sees an angel every Friday night at Red Rose, the pub where he works at.

 

He doesn't know the angel's name, unfortunately. Actually, he's never talked to the guy before — all Seongwu knows about him is that his voice is sweet and velvet-y and that he looks amazingly pretty in a loose black shirt and smudged red eyeliner. He always gets a clear, privileged view of his nameless angel from behind the bar counter where he stays the whole night mixing drinks. The stage where the musicians perform is right across from the bar, with a few tables separating them, so all Seongwu needs to do is look up from the cup he's cleaning to catch a sight of the heavenly guy.

 

The angel doesn't perform alone; he's in a band with four other guys, all very talented — but none of them can compare to the angel's beauty.

 

Yes, Seongwu is a sap. What about it.

 

Apart from watching the band play from afar, there's nothing Seongwu can do about his crush (can he really call it a crush when they've never talked to each other?). When they finish their gig, he still has a long way to go before his shift ends, so he never gets a chance to strike a conversation with the angel. So he resigns, and sticks to admiring the man from his safe distance.

 

“Are you pining again?” a voice coming from his side asks. Seongwu turns to see his best friend and coworker, Daniel, standing on the other side of the bar counter, leaning against it. “Even I can feel the burn of your stares. It's a surprise he hasn't noticed yet, you're not really subtle.”

 

“Don't you have a table to wait and your own boy to pine after?” Seongwu bites back. “Leave me to do my job _and_ my pining, and go do yours.”

 

Daniel’s ears turn pink at the mention of one of their regulars, who also happens to be a musician, and Seongwu laughs at that reaction.

 

“It’s not like that at all, okay. He’s just a friendly regular. And he’s nice.“

 

“Oh, sweet innocent child.” the older casts an exaggerated look of pity towards his friend. “Are you still in denial?”

 

“There’s nothing to be in denial about.” Daniel shrugs, trying to look nonchalant, but the blush on his face is a sign that _yes_ , he does have something to be in denial about.

 

“Look, I’m going to be a nice friend and wingman and help you with this, okay?” Seongwu grabs a glass, two bottles from the bar’s shelf and a few more things, whips out a red-colored drink as fast as he can and hands it to a confused looking Daniel. “Give him this and tell him it’s on the house. Throw a wink, or smile that puppy grin of yours, anything, he’ll be charmed off his socks and you’ll finally get his number after those painful weeks you spent longingly looking at him like a drama protagonist. And yes, I was counting.”

 

“I really, really hate you, Ong Seongwu.” Daniel says, with no bite to it.

 

“Please. I’m the best friend you could ask for.”

 

“Highly debatable.” the waiter rolls his eyes, but takes the drink nonetheless. “I doubt your plan will work, but thanks anyway. I’m leaving now.” before walking away, though, he turns to Seongwu again. “Also, you should take your own advice and make a move on your so-called ‘angel’.”

 

The bartender promptly ignores that last sentence and hollers encouragingly at his friend. “Good luck with loverboy, Niel!”

 

Daniel shoots him a subtle middle finger and Seongwu smiles smugly at his friend’s retreating back. The smugness, however, gets wiped off his face as he hears a soft “hey” and turns his head to see who is calling him.

 

He’s met with round eyes adorned by red eyeliner and glowing skin under the pub’s colorful lights. The person gives him a small smile and his breath gets caught in his throat, because _wow, the angel is even more stunning up close_.

 

“Hello”, Seongwu manages to get out without stuttering. “Good evening, how can I help you?”

 

He winces internally at the over-politeness of his question. He’s never this stiff with customers, preferring to have a more casual approach, but something tells him not to look like a fool in front of this angel.

 

The man chuckles lightly. “Do you guys serve water here, or just alcohol?”

 

“We have water.” Seongwu replies blandly, already breaking the promise of not making a fool of himself. “Sorry, I mean, yes, we do serve water. Would you like it bottled or served in a glass?”

 

“Oh, just a glass is fine.”

 

The bartender nods and walks to the fridge dedicated to non-alcoholic beverages that’s tucked in the far right side of the bar. He grabs a plastic bottle, pours the transparent liquid in a tulip glass — the first one he saw — and hands it to the singer in front of him.

 

“Thank you.” the man smiles. “We’re playing a longer gig this time and I underestimated the effect it’d have on my throat.”

 

“Oh.” Seongwu mumbles, unsure of what to respond. “Well, if you need another glass or, you know, a whole bottle, feel free to come back. The offer stands for the rest of your band as well.”

 

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind! And, uh, it’s not, you know, _my_ band. We’re not anyone’s band, we’re just… A band.”

 

“Right, sorry, it’s just force of habit. The lead singer is usually the leader, so I thought…” Seongwu interrupts himself before the topic becomes more awkward than it already is. “By the way, you guys are really good. You always put on a good show when you come here.”

 

That seems to be the right thing to say, because the singer’s face lights up with a shy smile and his nose scrunches a little. “Thanks, we really appreciate that. It’s nice that you pay attention to us even when you have a lot of work to do here.”

 

“Well, I’m a great music enthusiast, so, yeah. And your voice is really beautiful, it called my attention right away.” _More like you called my attention as a whole, but let’s not go there yet._

 

The singer’s cheeks go a faint pink at the compliment, and Seongwu wonders if he can get any more beautiful. “You flatter me, but thanks. I wish I could compliment you on your bartending skills, but…” he raises the glass of water with a chuckle, and Seongwu mirrors his expression. Cute, talented _and_ funny? Sign him the fuck up.

 

He feels like they could keep talking until the end of his shift, but one of the other band members, the blonde keyboardist, calls him.

 

“Minhyun! We’re going back on stage in, like, five.” he jabs a thumb towards the stage. “Just so you don’t… Get too distracted and lose track of time.” he smirks at the two of them.

 

“I’m _not_ getting distracted, Minki, but thank you.” the singer (Minhyun?) glares at his friend, who walks away laughing. “Sorry about him, he’s a little shit.” he says to Seongwu. The bartender waves a hand dismissively, showing that he didn’t get offended at Minki’s insinuation.

 

“It’s okay. I should stop taking up your time now.” he smiles timidly.

 

“You were not taking up my time!” Minhyun states. “I swear. If anything, I’m taking up yours, stealing you away from your other clients.”

 

“It’s fine. The clients are busy dancing, so they won’t stop by for a while.” Seongwu points at the DJ who’s in charge of the music while the band takes their break. “But enough talking, you should go back on stage, or your friend will show up again and drag you by your hair or something.” he smiles nervously, hoping he didn’t overstep with that last sentence.

 

He didn’t, if Minhyun’s full blown laughter is anything to go by. “Oh my God, you have no idea how on point that statement is. That’s absolutely something Minki would do.” the singer recollets himself, taking a step back from the bar counter. “But you’re right, I should go. Thank you for the chat and the water. See you!” he gives a cute little wave before walking away.

 

Once he’s disappeared into the crowd, Seongwu allows himself to clutch his chest overdramatically.

 

He’s _so_ whipped.

  


 

 

Minhyun keeps stopping by the bar after that, sometimes accompanied by one of his friends from the band — Minki, Aaron, Jonghyun and Dongho —, sometimes alone. He and Seongwu establish some sort of acquaintanceship over all the glasses of water the bartender serves him. At one point, Seongwu asks if Minhyun wants to change things up and order something else.

 

“I’m not very fond of alcohol.” the singer shakes his head. “And, even if I was, I’m working. It’d be really unprofessional of me if I drank something while performing. We’re a _serious_ rock band, you know.”

 

“I know, I know, but I could always make a non-alcoholic drink for you. I make a lot of those. The designated drivers love it.”

 

Minhyun chuckles at that, and it’s becoming one of Seongwu’s favorite sounds — sweet and airy, like a summer breeze. “Well, in that case, I’d like one, please.”

 

“Any requests?”

 

“Surprise me.”

 

It’s not flirting. Seongwu knows it’s not flirting — despite the usual flirty nature expressions like “surprise me” have, he knows the singer has no reason to flirt with him, at least not in this situation. So he ignores the flips his stomach is doing over Minhyun’s smile and decides that the other looks like a berries person rather than a citrus fruits one, and starts smashing strawberries to make the drink.

 

If Seongwu throws on some flashy bartender moves while making Minhyun’s drink to impress him, well, that’s _his_ business to mind. Besides, he takes pride in actually being able to do all those tricks, so he’s allowed to show off every once in a while.

 

His audience doesn’t seem unpleased either — Minhyun even praises him with quiet clapping and a double thumbs up, which makes the bartender duck his head in embarrassment after handing him the drink. The singer lets out an amused chuckle before taking the first sip of his non-alcoholic strawberry drink.

 

“Oh.” Minhyun’s eyes widen. “This tastes so good! What’s in it?”

 

“Uh, strawberries, of course.” Seongwu rubs the back of his neck, feeling awkward after his obvious answer. “A little bit of sweet condensed milk, ice, and soda to make it sparkly!”

 

“It’s really good, I might have it again the next time I come here. No wonder this bar is always crowded, if this is your standard non-alcoholic drink, the alcoholic ones must be heavenly.”

 

“Oh, no, they’re just okay.” Seongwu playfully waves his hand. “People come here because of my dashingly good looks.”

 

That makes Minhyun snort-laugh, and it should be unattractive, because he throws his head back and slaps his knee repeatedly, but it’s the cutest thing Seongwu has ever seen. And he’d tell all the jokes in the world to see the other man laugh like that again.

 

“Sorry.” the singer says. “It’s not like I don’t agree, it’s just- the way you said it. Your face was like, blank, it was so funny.” he laughs again. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing. It’s not _at_ you, okay, please don’t think I’m an asshole.”

 

“Don’t worry, it’s fine. It’s understandable, you know. I’m a pretty fun guy.”

 

“And modest, too.” Minhyun smiles, leaning his cheek on his palm, elbow propped on the counter. Seongwu has to remind himself that _this is not flirting._

 

“Yeah, that too.”

 

It’s nice, Seongwu thinks, that Minhyun isn’t put off by this kind of banter. His outer shell of overconfidence is only a way of building said confidence — which he lacks, actually. He knows how to balance the jokes so they sound like jokes, but sometimes people tend to get the wrong idea. He’s glad Minhyun isn’t one of those people. He doesn’t seem to find Seongwu obnoxious and annoying; if anything, his cocky tirades are funny.

 

Seongwu’s heart feels warm when he realizes that.

 

“Hwang Minhyun.” a voice is heard on the bar’s speakers — it’s Dongho, the band’s bassist, speaking from one of the stage’s microphones. “I’d like to kindly ask you to stop your little chat with loverboy and get your ass on stage in two minutes. Thank you.”

 

Minhyun hides his face in his hand, embarrassed, and Seongwu would think it’s the cutest thing ever, if he wasn’t embarrassed himself at being called “loverboy” — and at the implications the nickname had.

 

Sidetracking a little, he now knows Minhyun’s last name. Not that he needed it for anything. It was just nice to know more about the singer.

 

“Well, I should go.” Minhyun says, face colored pink. _Oh, my, that’s such a pretty blush,_ Seongwu thinks. _How can he look pretty in any situation?_

 

“S-Sure, yeah.” the bartender stutters out. “Go… Rock, or something.”

 

“I’ll try my best.” the singer chuckles, airy and beautiful. “Thanks for the chat and for the drink, Seongwu. See you next time?”

 

“Yup. Next time. Good luck on stage!”

 

“Thank you! Bye!”

 

He’s out with an angelic smile and an enthusiastic wave of his hand. Seongwu sighs, well-aware of the heart eyes he must be sending to Minhyun’s direction.

 

“Dude.” he hears a laugh of disbelief coming from somewhere around his left. He knows it’s Daniel, carrying his empty waiting tray and wearing a silly grin on his face. A grin on Seongwu’s expense. “You’re like, completely hopeless. It’s kind of painful to watch.”

 

“Fuck off.”

 

“I can’t. Table five ordered two _piñas coladas_. I need to stay here so I can, you know, do my job.”

 

“I’m quitting this job.”

 

“And losing the opportunity of seeing Minhyun every week?” Daniel wiggles his eyebrows. Seongwu wants to punch his face, because he’s _right_.

 

“You’ve become way more insufferable since you started dating that regular. He’s a bad influence for you. I should’ve never played matchmaker.” the older sticks out his tongue childishly and Daniel responds in the same fashion.

 

“Just make the drinks. I’ll stop bugging you. I wasn’t even going to in the first place, but the first thing I saw when I got here were your googly eyes so I had to do my job as a best friend and tell you how ridiculous you looked right then.”

 

“Just so you know”, Seongwu points one finger at Daniel while grabbing the ingredients for the _piñas coladas_. “You’re doing a terrible job at being my best friend.”

 

The younger just makes a heart shape with his hands. “Love you, Ongie.”

  
  


 

 

“So, I have a question.”

 

“Shoot.”

 

Today, Minhyun is wearing black eyeliner and a navy blue shirt. He asked Seongwu for a different non-alcoholic drink, and is now sipping on a nice mix of orange and peach.

 

“I was wondering, what do you look like when you’re not in here?” Minhyun asks, stirring his drink with the straw. “Like, when you’re at home, what do you wear, what do you do?”

 

“Oh, that’s a nice question. Well, I’m a homebody, so I wear strictly sweatpants and old t-shirts.”

 

“Must be a nice sight.”

 

“It isn’t.” Seongwu deadpans. “I work as a freelance editor sometimes, so I technically have two jobs, meaning, I don’t have the energy to clean my apartment, so I basically live in a huge mess like a broke college student.”

 

“Oh my God.” Minhyun laughs. “Remind me to never go to your house.”

 

“Why? Are you the obsessive-cleaner type?”

 

“I wouldn’t say _obsessive_. But yes, unlike you, I’m a neat and clean guy.”

 

“Wow, I’m offended.” Seongwu puts his hand over his heart, fake hurt.

 

“Sorry.” the singer gives him a side smirk, not looking apologetic at all. It’s a smile he’s never worn in front of Seongwu before, and it’s a nice look on him.

 

“But what about you, Hwang Minhyun? What do _you_ do when you’re not on stage?”

 

“Well, for example, I chat with funny and messy bartenders.” they both laugh. “No, but really, I have another job when I’m not with the band. Wanna guess?”

 

“Hm, let me see.” Seongwu rubs his chin, in an exaggerated thoughtful expression. “Music producer?”

 

“Nice try, but nope. That’s more Dongho’s thing than mine.”

 

“Personal trainer.”

 

Minhyun snorts. “Really? Where did you get that from?”

 

“Pulled it out of my ass.” the bartender admits. “I’d say chef, but it’s a really time-consuming job so I don’t think you’d conceal it with being in a band. I give up. What’s your second job?”

 

“It’s actually my first job, since it’s what I majored in. I’m a 1st grade teacher.”

 

Seongwu’s eyes go wide — not only because it’s an unexpected answer, but because it makes Minhyun even more perfect. In his opinion, any job that involves children requires a godly patience (which he doesn’t have, but let’s not dive into that) and a very kind heart, and, knowing Minhyun, Seongwu can tell he’s great at his job.

 

“Unexpected, huh?” the singer says.

 

“Yeah, but it fits you. I can imagine you in a bright colored classroom surrounded by an army of tiny little devils- sorry, tiny little angels.”

 

Minhyun laughs, close-lipped. “Some of them are little devils, it’s okay. But I love kids, so…”

 

“It’s a nice job to have. I mean, it’s not something I would do, but I think it’s nice.”

 

It’s not just _nice_ . It’s more than that. It’s Minhyun with little kids, talking to them in a sweet voice, giggling at their antics, maybe wearing round glasses and, _be still my beating heart_ , pastel sweaters. It’s something straight out of Seongwu’s grossly domestic daydreams involving the singer and, oh, he’s daydreaming again.

 

“It really is. I like it a lot. Well, most of the time.” Minhyun chuckles.

 

“Do your students know that you’re a rockstar who sings like an angel on his free time?”

 

The singer’s face goes slightly pink. “Not sure about the angel part, but yes, they know I’m in a band. They think it’s cool.”

 

“It _is_ cool! Don’t sell yourself short. You are a cool guy, Minhyun. Trust me, it takes one to know one.”

 

“Is that you implying you’re cool?” Minhyun hides a laugh with his hand.

 

“Is that you implying I’m _not_?” Seongwu gasps in an offended tone. “We’ve been acquainted for less than two months and you’re already roasting me like Daniel does. I see how it is.”

 

Minhyun bursts into laughter at that, and Seongwu automatically forgives his roast — not that he took it seriously in the first place. It’s cliche, sue him, but the singer’s laugh sounds like bells ringing. He thinks it’s fitting. Maybe Minhyun _is_ an angel after all.

 

“Sorry if I overstepped.” the singer says when he recovers from his fit of laughter. “Really. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable or iffy. I like talking to you and being friends, kind of.”

 

“Hey, hey, it’s fine.” Seongwu assures him. “Seriously, playful insults here and there are one of the pillars of friendship. I didn’t take it to heart, wasn’t hurt, it’s okay. You didn’t overstep.”

 

“I’m glad.” Minhyun breathes out. “Wait, does that mean we’re officially friends?” he asks with an expectant smile.

 

Hwang Minhyun’s smile will be the death of Seongwu one day.

 

“Yes, of course! I considered you my friend, like, two weeks ago.”

 

“Oh. That’s nice. Friendship dynamics are weird, I never know when to consider someone my friend. I usually just wait for them to say we’re friends, like you just did.”

 

“I’m always that person.”

 

“Looks like we’re really meant to be, then.”

 

Seongwu’s heart does a triple flip and he nearly chokes on air. _It’s a normal sentence_ , he tells himself. _Minhyun meant it in a platonic way. Stop overthinking_.

 

“We really are…” he responds, unsure.

 

“Hey, if we’re officially friends, does that mean we can hang out outside of here?”

 

“You want to hang out with me? I thought I was uncool.” Seongwu feigns annoyance.

 

“And I thought we both knew I was joking and were already past that.” Minhyun bites back with a challenging smirk. He pulls his phone out of his jeans’ pocket and slides it over the bar counter. “Put your number in there so we can chat outside of here and make plans for our hangout.”

 

“Very smooth of you, Minhyun. Very smooth.” the bartender muses as he types his number in the other’s contacts. “Do you do that to get every cute bartender’s number?”

 

“Only the ones that make me laugh and enjoy myself within only five minutes of conversation.” the singer answers in a surprisingly fond voice. Seongwu looks up and sees that Minhyun isn’t smirking or looking sarcastic — the smile on his face is true and, dare he say, adoring, and it’s Seongwu’s turn to blush.

 

“W-Well, there’s my number.” he stutters. “I saved it as ‘Seongwu’, martini emoji, strawberry emoji, stars emoji.”

 

“Martini for bartender, strawberry for the first drink you made me, and stars for…?”

 

“Oh, people used to say the three moles on my cheek look like a constellation, so I kind of got attached to the whole ‘stars’ symbolism. Stars are cool.”

 

“That’s actually really cute.” Minhyun giggles. Then, he hears the unmistakable sound of an amp being turned on and looks behind him, where the stage is, noticing his bandmates already going up there. “And I should probably get going. Before anyone interrupts us. Again.”

 

“Yeah, yeah, totally. Go, go. Good luck! Not like you need it, but still. Good luck.”

 

“Thank you. Hey, I’ll text you, okay? See you.” Minhyun waves and disappears between the patrons already gathering in front of the stage.

 

“See you…” Seongwu mumbles to himself, melting on top of the bar counter, arms outstretched in front of him.

 

He sees Minhyun on stage, checking his microphone stand, then smiling sweetly at his direction.

 

“Fuck. I’m in love.”

  


 

 

Minhyun does text him the next day (Seongwu saves his contact as ‘Minhyun’, microphone emoji, angel emoji, purple heart emoji), and they spend more time talking than thinking about making plans of going out together. Which, Seongwu has to remind himself all the time, is not the same thing as a date.

 

“It totally is.” Daniel argues, when he stops by the older’s apartment to play video games. “You’re just telling yourself it’s not because you don’t want to rush things or whatever, but trust me. He asked you on a date.”

 

“And why would he ask me on a date? It’s just a friendly hangout, Niel. And I don’t mind that it is. I like being his friend.”

 

Daniel pauses their game and turns to Seongwu. “Are you content being _just_ friends?”

 

“Yes…? I can’t demand that he reciprocates my feelings. It doesn’t work like that.”

 

“And here I was, thinking you were only being cautious about jumping into a relationship too soon.” Daniel shakes his head in disbelief. “Turns out you’re just really dense. Or really dumb. Maybe both.”

 

“Okay, when did this turn into an ‘attack Seongwu session’?”

 

“Sorry, but it’s really hard to believe that you didn’t realize that Minhyun likes you back. You talk to him all the time, you were supposed to know by now.”

 

“He doesn’t. I know he doesn’t, okay? And it’s fine! Just… Don’t get my hopes up, alright?” Seongwu looks down. “I know you mean well, but I don’t want to get hurt in the end. If I choose to believe you, I’ll-“

 

“S’okay.” the younger puts his hand over the other’s. “Sorry for bringing that up. Let’s drop this subject, alright? Pass me the potato chips.” he points to the plastic bowl near Seongwu’s leg.

 

“Magic word?”

 

“Or I’ll purposely screw up our mission on the game.” Daniel grins as he starts the game again.

 

“Fucker.” Seongwu throws a single potato chip at Daniel’s direction. The chip lands on his shoulder and the younger manages to catch it with his teeth, munching on it happily.

 

They both laugh, and Seongwu moves the bowl of chips so it stays between them. He gets focused on the game, and his Minhyun-induced worries are momentarily forgotten.

  


 

 

Minhyun and Seongwu decide to meet for dinner on a Tuesday. It’s a weird day, but working at a bar doesn’t really allow Seongwu to have free Saturdays, so they settle for a boring weekday. They choose a Japanese place to eat — Minhyun suggests it, saying he likes to go there every now and then, so it’s reliable and the food is great. Seongwu agrees; it’s not like he’s an authority on japanese food, so any place is fine with him.

 

The restaurant is relatively small and the lighting makes it look cozy — there are regular tables and low tables for the patrons who want the whole experience of sitting on mats on the floor to eat. Overall, it’s a comfortable place and the menu seems good. Minhyun has good taste.

 

Since the singer is familiar with the restaurant, Seongwu trusts him to choose their meal — it also has a little to do with his near nonexistent knowledge of japanese food. That decision proves to be a good one, not only because the food tastes amazing, but also because Minhyun’s japanese when naming the dishes is really cute. Seongwu is aware he might be shooting heart eyes at the other, but at the moment he couldn’t care less.

 

“So.” Minhyun starts. “How are things?”

 

“Fine.” Seongwu shrugs. “Same old. You?”

 

“Same, I guess.”

 

“Small talk is awkward.”

 

“It is. Sorry, I don’t have much to say.”

 

“It’s fine. Did you pick your outfit yourself?”

 

Minhyun looks absolutely gorgeous, in a different way that he does when he’s performing with the band. He’s wearing a white turtleneck that makes his frame look broader, simple jeans and a black coat. Also, Seongwu was right about the round glasses — Minhyun is wearing a pair of thin-rimmed specs that compliment his appearance even more. He looks very put together and soft at the same time, like…

 

_Perfect boyfriend material_.

 

Yeah, Seongwu’s thoughts are a little biased.

 

“I did.” Minhyun nods. Then, his eyes widen. “Why? Does it look bad?”

 

“No, no, it looks good. I was just, hm, curious. Didn’t know you wore glasses.”

 

“Oh, that.” the singer lets out a chuckle. It’s cute. “The lenses bother me when I’m on stage, so I take them off to perform. That’s why you’ve never seen me wearing them.”

 

“They suit you. They make you look smart.”

 

“I _am_ smart.”

 

“I know, I’m just saying the glasses reflect that. It’s… A nice look.”

 

Minhyun’s cheeks tinge pink. “What’s all the flattery about? Are you trying to get me to pay the bill all by myself?”

 

Seongwu laughs at that. “I’m offended that you think that lowly of me. I’m not trying anything, okay. I’ll have you know I’m my friends’ number one hypeman, so I like complimenting them. In that case, you.”

 

“Aw, that's sweet.” Minhyun stretches his arm forward to pinch Seongwu’s cheek playfully. “Thank you. You also look good today.”

 

“T-Thank you.” Seongwu hopes the other can’t hear the sound of his heart beating out of it’s cage at the contact.

 

The rest of their dinner goes without any incidents. They keep chatting about whatever topic that comes up, and Minhyun has a fit of laughter over Seongwu eating too much wasabi with his food. They split the bill when leaving and wave the cashier goodbye before stepping out.

 

“I forgot japanese food made my stomach feel that full.” Seongwu pats his tummy.

 

“Right? I don’t know if I love it or hate it.” Minhyun puts his hands on his jeans’ pockets. “Hey, tonight was fun. Thanks.”

 

“No need to thank me! I had fun too. We need to hang out more often. Maybe invite your other friends as well.”

 

“Yeah, sure! Let’s do that, uh, next time. We can arrange something nice to do in groups.”

 

“Like bowling!”

 

“I suck at bowling.”

 

“Too bad, I’m a god at bowling.” Seongwu pokes the other’s arm. “I guess we already know who’s going to lose.” he says in a sing-song voice.

 

“You’re so annoying.” Minhyun laughs.

 

“But you like being my friend.”

 

“That I do.”

 

There it is again. The soft smile, devoid of any playfulness or malice. Something akin to fondness paints Minhyun’s features, and Seongwu really doesn’t know what to make of it.

 

“I, uh, should get going.” he stutters out. “Do you live far? Do you want me to walk you home, or…?”

 

“No, no, I’m fine, I’ll just call a cab. Thank you.”

 

They stand awkwardly in front of each other, not knowing how to say goodbye. Hug? Shake hands? Just wave?

 

Minhyun breaks the tension by leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Seongwu, staying for a few seconds and then patting his back. The hug is reciprocated a little hesitantly — Seongwu doesn’t know what to do with his arms, and he’s a little overwhelmed by Minhyun’s warmth, and _oh, he smells so good I could stay here forever-_

 

The singer breaks the hug, still smiling. “Bye, Seongwu. See you!”

 

Seongwu forces his knees not to give out when he mutters out a “see you”, watching Minhyun disappear into the streets.

  


 

 

Sundays are Seongwu’s free days, when he gets to laze around and sleep until when he wants to. This Sunday, however, is a little different.

 

At around 9AM, his phone rings. In his sleepy haze, he doesn’t look at the caller's ID and answers it with a rough and groggy “hello?”.

 

“Seongwu, thank God you’re awake.”

 

It’s Minhyun. He instantly becomes more aware, his mind already wandering, searching for reasons to why the singer would be calling him on a Sunday morning, sounding so alarmed at that.

 

“Uh, what happened?”

 

“So, remember when I told you that I was organizing a little professions fair for the kids?”

 

“Yeah, yeah, so they can learn a little about how the world works. I remember.”

 

“Okay, so, I need to ask you a huge favor. One of the people I asked to come just called me and said she’s down with the flu, sneezing and coughing her brains out, so she won’t be able to make it to the fair. And now the kids and their obnoxious parents are starting to arrive and we’re one profession down. So I was wondering if you could, pretty pretty please, fill in the gap.”

 

“Me. In a school event. About professions.” Seongwu deadpans.

 

“You were the first one I thought of! Pleeeeease. I’ll owe you my life.”

 

“Minhyun, I don’t think my job is very _child-appropriate_. I mean, I mix drinks for a living-“

 

“Not that job, you idiot.” Minhyun groans. “I was thinking about making a presentation about being an editor. The kids will like it. My class, specifically, they’re obsessed with creative writing. It would be really nice to them if you could make it. Please?”

 

In that moment, Seongwu realizes that he would do pretty much anything (within the limits of the law and morals, of course) for Hwang Minhyun.

 

“Fine, I'll do it.” he sighs. “Text me the address?”

 

After taking a quick shower and choosing acceptable clothes in record time, Seongwu calls a cab and heads to the school. He spends the ride thinking about what he should say during his presentation, scribbling some (unreadable) notes on a small notebook.

 

Even in his rush to leave his apartment as soon as possible, Seongwu remembered to pick from his shelf two children's books that he took part in editing and put them in his bag to show the kids. Now, approaching his destination, he hopes it’s enough for his presentation. He doesn’t want to disappoint the kids — or Minhyun.

 

When he arrives at the school, he’s greeted by a rather disheveled-looking Minhyun, probably worn out by the stress of organizing the event and having to deal with the sudden absence of a presenter. Even then, he manages to look good, it’s starting to get infuriating.

 

He wraps Seongwu in a quick hug and breathes out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so, so much for coming. I’ll pay you back later, okay?”

 

“It’s fine, don’t worry. I hope I don’t screw up.” Seongwu frowns. “I don’t dislike kids, but I don’t have the habit of dealing with them, so I don’t really know how to proceed or-“

 

“Breathe.” Minhyun smiles, hands on the other’s shoulders. “Just be yourself, no dirty jokes, no cursing and no complicated words. Can you do that?”

 

“I- I think I can.”

 

“Then you’ll do great. There’s already a guy doing his presentation, so you have a few minutes to plan what you’re going to say and stuff. Are you nervous?”

 

“Yeah, a little.” Seongwu chuckles. “Does it show?”

 

“A little.” Minhyun mimics his answer. “But don’t worry, I’ll stay close, everything will be fine. Trust me.”

 

“Okay. Okay.”

 

And things really go well. When Minhyun introduces Seongwu to the kids, they find his last name — Ong — really funny, and proceed to only call him that, which is amusing. They pay attention to his explanation about being an editor, even asking a few questions. Bringing the two books was a good idea — the kids all gather around him to take a look at them, marveling at the idea of how the books they read go through a lot of things before arriving at the store.

 

In the end, Minhyun tells the group of kids to say goodbye to Seongwu so they can move on to the last presentation of the day, and it’s cute how their high-pitched voices all echo together an enthusiastic “goodbye”. He even gets a hug from one of the kids, which is unexpected, but appreciated.

 

(Minhyun’s giggle over the interaction is also highly appreciated.)

 

Minhyun insists to accompany Seongwu to the school gates and pay for his ride back home. There are a few protests about that last part, but they are shushed after one sharp glare from the older.

 

“I really can’t thank you enough.” the teacher says while they wait for a cab. “Seriously, the event was my idea, and it was kind of hard to make it happen, you know get my superiors to approve and stuff. They didn’t think it was necessary at first, and being the youngest teacher in here doesn’t really help my case, so if anything went wrong…”

 

“Hey, hey, hey.” Seongwu puts his hand on Minhyun’s shoulder. “Don’t think about that. The event is going on just fine, the kids are enjoying it, it’s not boring, the parents seem to be appreciating it as well… You did a great job. Really.”

 

Minhyun offers him a weak smile. “What would I do without you?”

 

“Oh, a lot of things. I’m not _that_ important.”

 

“Shut up. I’ll pay you back for this, okay? I owe you. Whenever you need anything, just-“

 

“You’re already paying for my cab, though.”

 

“It’s not enough!”

 

“Minhyun-“

 

A honk interrupts their bickering.

 

“Oh, it’s my cab.” Seongwu says. “I gotta go.”

 

“Okay. Have a safe trip, text me when you get home, okay?”

 

“Sure. See you, Minhyun!”

 

“See you. And, uh, thank you. Again.”

 

“I said it’s fine-“

 

Soft lips come to meet Seongwu’s cheek. It’s a light and sweet kiss, and Minhyun finalizes it with a playful smile of his own, like a kid who just got caught stealing cookies in the kitchen.

 

Seongwu is left speechless. He just gets into the car, mumbles his address to the driver and waves Minhyun goodbye, too dumbfounded to do more than that. His face keeps burning the whole ride home when he thinks about the kiss.

 

Nothing else occupies his mind for the rest of the day.

 

 

  


It’s a Friday night like any other. Seongwu is on his usual spot behind the bar counter, Daniel stops by sometimes to chat, Minhyun and the band are performing, there’s an annoying lady at table two that keeps telling him the drink he served her is too strong.

 

Same old routine.

 

Then, it’s not anymore.

 

Seongwu hears someone tapping the microphone on stage, testing it, eliciting a loud ecstatic sound from the amp that is quickly fixed. There’s more mic tapping, then someone speaks up.

 

“Good evening everyone, as some of you might know, we are NU'EST.” Dongho introduces the band. Weird. They never do that before the break. “Before we go on a quick break, our lead vocalist Minhyun would like to dedicate a song to the boy he’s been pining over for months-“

 

“ _Thank you_ , Dongho, stop spreading lies about me. I’ll take it from here.” Minhyun takes the mic from his friend’s hand. “So, yes, hi, I’m Minhyun, and I would like to dedicate this song to someone.”

 

Is now the time Seongwu’s heart shatters into a million pieces?

 

Minhyun is dedicating a song to somebody else, even publicly announcing it. This person probably means a lot to him. And it hurts that this person is not Seongwu. So he forces himself to look down and starts wiping with a cloth an already clean cup.

 

“This person… I don’t even know how to begin describing him. When we first met, he was a little awkward, but friendly enough for me to keep coming back to him. And I was not disappointed. Behind a very enjoyable first layer of silly jokes and fun banter, I discovered a nice, caring person, with a heart of gold and so, so much good to bring into people’s lives. I was in love before I even realized that. And, well, it doesn’t hurt that he’s dashingly handsome.” Minhyun lets out a chuckle at that. “But I can’t see his handsome face right now, because he isn’t even looking at me!”

 

Wait. Seongwu’s ears perk up at that. Is that about…

 

“Yes, you idiot, I’m talking about you.” the singer says. “Would you stop wiping that cup and just look at me, please?”

 

The bartender slowly lifts his eyes to the stage, where Minhyun stands with the same beautiful smile that he adores so much.

 

“Ong Seongwu, I like you a whole motherfucking lot.” he says. “And this song is for you.”

 

And then he starts singing.

 

Seongwu feels like he’s falling for Minhyun all over again. All of the things that had him enamored in the first place — his stage presence, his sweet voice, his angelic face — can all be seen from a new, different perspective now that he’s met the other aspects that all combine into one Hwang Minhyun. The Minhyun who snort-laughs, who likes cleaning, who speaks japanese, who is a 1st grade teacher — Minhyun as a whole, the man he’s admittedly in love with.

 

The song ends too soon in Seongwu’s opinion, but he’s not complaining, because as soon as the band announces the break, Minhyun comes running to his direction. He only has the time to leave his place behind the counter and stand in front of it before Minhyun crashes into him, enveloping his body in a bone-crushing hug.

 

“Did you like the surprise?” he asks, in a whisper.

 

“I’m a little overwhelmed, to be honest. I couldn’t even imagine-“

 

“Imagine what? That I’m in love with you?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“I’ve been trying to give you hints for a while.” the singer chuckles. “But you weren’t picking up on them.”

 

“I thought you were just being friendly!”

 

“Seongwu, we literally went on a date.”

 

“It could’ve been a platonic date!”

 

“Wow, you really _are_ an idiot.” Minhyun deadpans.

 

“I get that a lot, thank you.”

 

“Well, I hope this clarifies my feeling once and for all. I like you so, so, so much. And I hope you feel the same, or else this is going to be the most awkward moment in my whole life.”

 

In a moment of bravery that immediately wears off, Seongwu kisses Minhyun’s nose. “Yes, I do feel the same. And, if this is a dream, I’d like to ask whoever’s up there to not wake me up. Like, ever.”

 

“This is real.” the singer pinches his cheek. “See?”

 

“That’s even better.”

 

“So, can I kiss you or not?”

 

Seongwu’s face heats up. “Bold, aren’t we?”

 

“Can I?”

 

“I thought you’d never ask.”

 

Minhyun leans in to capture his lips.

 

It’s soft, and delicate. Appropriate for a first kiss, he guesses. Then, the singer tilts his head and holds Seongwu’s waist, and he starts to get dizzy on Minhyun’s lips, smell, presence, on his everything. They part, and the softness returns, with Minhyun brushing their noses together lightly. They burst into little giggles, like middle schoolers who just got their first kiss.

 

“Hey.” Seongwu tucks a strand of silky brown hair behind Minhyun’s ear. “I recall you owed me something. You know, for when I saved your school event two weeks ago?”

 

“Yes…? What about it?”

 

“I was thinking, maybe you could repay me with a real, proper date.”

 

“Hm, let me think about it.” Minhyun makes a thoughtful expression, then pecks Seongwu on the lips. “Fine, we’ll go on that date.”

 

“If kissing me is all it takes for you to agree with me, it’ll be really easy to persuade you in the future.

 

Minhyun kisses him again.

 

“Shut up.”

  


 

 

(A month later, one of the kids from Minhyun’s class approaches him.

 

“You know, you could have told us Ong was your boyfriend.”

 

“What?”

 

“Yesterday, when he came to visit, he kissed you on the cheek. That’s a boyfriends thing, right?”

 

Minhyun’s face goes bright red.

 

Seongwu laughs for a whole minute when his boyfriend tells him about that little dialogue.)

**Author's Note:**

> soooooo that was it thank you for sticking til the end!! pls let me know if you liked the story, comments & kudos are very appreciated!! special thanks to: peachy_fox_star, for hyping me up; anett, for listening to my rambling; and beu, for no reason other than i lobe u c:
> 
> yell at me on twitter!! @wonhaospace
> 
> again, thanks for reading, see you next fic!!


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